


There's Us and There's You

by frostbunny2998



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Anal Sex, Angst, Fingering, Gay Sex, Hidden Feelings that Become Revealedddd, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Romance, Swearing, Threesome, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-08
Updated: 2018-03-08
Packaged: 2019-03-15 09:56:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13610928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frostbunny2998/pseuds/frostbunny2998
Summary: While returning from a mission, Steve can't help but feel bad as he sees Lindsay (OC) fighting off the urge to sleep. He knows she is anxious to prove herself as the newest member of the Avengers, but like his best friend Bucky, he constantly worries that she isn't taking care of herself. That's not the only thing they worry about however...After much secrecy and hidden feelings come to surface, Lindsay, Steve, and Bucky have to confront their true feelings for each other. Will deception or old customs get in the way of their special love? Read to find out!





	1. History and Hidden Affections

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone!! FrostBunny2998 here (I know my name is pretty lame lol), and I just wanted to say that I am a huge fan of this site and this is actually the first work I've ever posted!! <3 <3 So I would love some comments and suggestions as soon as you finish this chapter of There's Us and There's You! :) I actually have all of it done because I've had this idea in my head forEVER and finally decided to post it, but I will post more depending on whether you guys and/or gals like it or not. I really hope you do, but if not, it's all good! Feel free to suggest whatever you want to see changed and I'll work my magic :P 
> 
> Naturally, my first chapter is long and elaborate, but I put my all into it! If you like/love this story after all, absolutely let me know if you want me to write about any other fandoms or pairings or whatever else because odds are I'll know it! Much love to all you fanfic readers and thank you so much for clicking my story! Again, hope you like it and tell me what you think! Enjoy :)

The light shining through the windows of the Quinjet was practically blinding. Not exactly what someone who hasn’t slept in roughly four days wants to deal with, but such is the life of an Avenger. At least, that’s what she was led to believe from the ever-illusive Tony Stark. Her quote-on-quote favorite Tin-Man/mad scientist could go weeks without rest, and he was considered an elite member of the group, so maybe he was onto something.

Her name is Lindsay, and she is _technically_ twenty-seven years old. She stands at a proud five-foot-two (for all you shorties out there :’D) and had French-braided her dirty blonde hair so as to keep it out of the way on the latest mission. It was getting pretty long - maybe she should schedule a haircut appointment when she gets back to the Avengers Tower…

“Lindsay!” 

She turned her head to see Steve calling her name. He sounded pretty annoyed, so he must have been trying to get her attention for a while. She responds drowsily.

“Oh, sorry Steve. I was lost in thought for a second there.”

“It’s fine, but you seem a little out of it today. Are you okay?” The concern laced in his voice made her eyebrows crinkle in appreciation. He honestly was the sweetest man she has ever known, despite his complicated past.

“I’m fine. Just a little tired is all.” She smiled softly and immediately went back to her half-awake state. 

“Whatever you say. But please let me know if you need anything, okay?”

“Mmm-hmm..” 

Her eyelids felt like they had 50 lb. weights on them and she thought. _“Why can sleep be so refreshing and yet so hard to fight off?”_ Meanwhile, Steve chuckles at her failed attempt to stay alert and cautiously focuses his gaze on her appearance instead. She donned a tight, dark-blue leather outfit that allowed for optimal movement in combat situations, along with a pair of matching knee-high boots. They highlighted her beautifully toned legs, despite them not being too long like Nat’s. Her chest wasn’t anything to gawk at either, but they were perfectly proportionate to her curvy frame. Her deadly hands were almost always gloved, but when she was relaxed, her fingers somehow seemed delicate. Her skin was pale but her face was smooth, her cheekbones were very well-sculpted, and her lips were full. She never wore too much make-up, just the occasional layer of foundation and a little mascara, which he very much enjoyed. No man enjoys a woman who makes themselves looks like a clown. In fact, on a good day, he’d find her with maybe a bold eye-shadow and an attractive red lip, but those were rare to say the least. And those damn enchanting, green eyes….. he could look into those eyes for days. 

_“Wait… where are they?”_ Steve thought.

Lindsay was gingerly leaned up against the wall, separate from the seats from the cockpit of the jet, seemingly resting her eyes for only a moment. Steve snapped out of his little daydream and hoped she wasn’t already out!

“Uh… Linds?”

Before he knew it, she was softly snoring and her chest fell up and down in even breaths. 

“Damn. She must have been working herself into the ground to take a nap now, huh?” Tony chimed in.

“Ah, give her a break, Shell-head. She _is_ technically the youngest out of all us, and kids gotta get their sleep if wanna keep ‘em from gettin' grumpy.” 

Tony and Clint snickered like boys while Bruce and Thor simply smiled in amusement. Nat was lounging next to her best buddy and pilot Clint, and he of all people should know that she is never one to sugarcoat. She was well aware Lindsay was exhausted from trying to prove herself to the team. She was like a tough older sister to her in that way.

“Cut it out, you guys.” Steve warned as he gave them all the stink-eye.

“Why? Just because she tells you and Robo-Cop everything means we can’t tease her a _little_?” Tony pointed out with a playful smirk as he paced the area.

“You know that I don’t like that nickname, Tony. Neither does Bucky.”

“Always so serious, Cap. Lighten up, will ya?”

Steve just grumbles and puts Tony out of his mind to refocus his attention on Lindsay. The dark circles that formed under her eyes from sleep deprivation were clearly visible, and he started to worry. 

_“I swear, I spend more time thinking about this girl than I do this country. How many times have I told her to take it easy?!”_

Ever since he first met her as a kid back in the 20’s, he spent almost all of his time with her (and Bucky of course). Much like himself, she was bullied for being “good-for-nothing” and being weak. But she had a fire in her heart, and it got her into trouble time and time again. She would even sometimes start fights with boys twice her size if they so much as looked at her the wrong way. 

Finally, one cloudy day in Brooklyn, Steve and Bucky were walking down the street to spend the day at Bucky’s place when they saw her getting beaten to a pulp in a nearby alley. He can still remember her frail frame swaying from side to side as her cheek started to bruise and her nose dripped with blood. She yelled "Stay out of it!” as soon as they stopped and realized what was happening, as if it was insulting for them to get involved. Naturally, they intervened and scared off the ginger-haired boy beating her (Bucky did anyways). She stood up to show them she was fine, but she quickly fell down from the pain her injuries caused. She was as tough as nails, but as stubborn as a mule.

“You didn’t have to do that,” she said as she was hoisted up by Bucky. 

“We know. But we don’t exactly like to see anyone get beat up. ‘Specially when it’s a feisty little doll like you.” Steve said with a genuine smile. 

He’ll never forget how she wholeheartedly laughed at that, and then proceeded to follow them to Bucky’s house to tend to her wounds. She was only ten years old then, but ever since that fateful encounter, they were as close as peas and carrots. They actually became relatively well-known in their neighborhood as being very tight-knit and a real nuisance if you messed with any of them. They also learned she was orphaned at age three, and they could definitely relate since their parents were either gone too or struggling to make time for them. As they grew up, Bucky adopted his playboy persona while Steve remained more reserved. Lindsay was pretty in between, but always remained their ‘best gal’. He remembered that always made her feel valued and loved, so he and Buck never stopped addressing her as such.

When Bucky went off to fight in WWII, she cried for about three weeks before she too vowed to join the army as soon as possible. She shared the same intense love for America as the other two, and she wanted to stay together above all else. Taking Steve’s physical state into account at the time, she figured she could get in around the same time as him with a fairly fit female body. To both their surprise, it actually worked out - she had to disguise herself as a man though. Afterwards, she somehow passed all the required tests to get stationed in the very same sector as Steve (Steve still thinks to this day that that kind doctor who got him into the Super-Soldier program helped her in some way too). 

Right before he underwent the serum experiment, she _ordered_ him to come out alive or she’d kill him. When he did, she enveloped him in the biggest bear-hug she could manage the next day. For the next year and a half, she and Steve were the dynamic duo and together at all times: orchestrating bold rescues and strategic attacks like pros. They were worshipped by all their fellow comrades, but they were determined to find and join Bucky. When they eventually did, it hurt so much when they saw him fall off that train to his death. They were both devastated for weeks - Steve couldn’t get drunk, and it was rare to find Lindsay without an empty whiskey bottle in her midst. It was actually during Lindsay's state of depression that she carelessly revealed to her entire unit that she was indeed a woman. Thankfully by that time, every soldier there had already suspected it and accepted her nonetheless. She was one of them after all, and they all empathized with her in this difficult time. When her and Steve finally recovered, they swore to avenge their longtime friend. Long story short, they discovered the Red Mask’s evil plans, fought bravely, and defeated him in the jet that would eventually become their resting place. 

Steve thought that that was the last time he was ever going to see her and he frowned now… she was the only true friend and loyal partner in crime he had left. But, to his immense surprise, he awoke after his seventy year ice-coma and learned she was still alive too! She was only a few feet away from him when they were discovered in the frozen tundra, but there was a catch: she had woken up five years prior to him. To make matters worse, in her confused state, she was kidnapped by the terrorist organization known as Hydra. It was there she reunited with Bucky. She could _not_ believe he was alive and was initially too happy to even think about their dire situation. She quickly realized he was not the same when she saw his powerful metal arm and witnessed his brainwashed sense of morality.

The monsters at Hydra trained her harder and harsher than anything she had ever known, and she eventually became one of the strongest agents they had. It was nearly impossible to not give in to their warped ideals, and she endured many sleepless nights doubting her existence. After six years of torture and hardship, she narrowly escaped with her sanity and tracked down Steve to modern-day New York City. She knew he was alive because she was informed he was also preserved in ice when she woke up, but he had to adjust to the new world all by himself for a whole year. She knows now that Steve never thought it was her fault, but she blamed herself for months before coming to terms with it.

Their reunion was heartfelt and truly unforgettable - Steve was at Tony’s place of business when security guards informed them a strange woman was begging to talk to a “Stephen Grant Rogers” on the base floor. Very few people would address him by his full name, so Steve rushed outside to her and stopped. All he could do was stare at her until he broke down and gave her the biggest hug he could manage. She gladly returned it, and they cried so much they became borderline dehydrated! She looked pretty much the same, only her hair was cut short and her face became a little more stern. The only thing different about Steve was his hair becoming more modern-styled, which she still loves to tease from time to time.

They then planned to get Bucky back ASAP, and with Lindsay’s newfound and extensive knowledge of Hydra, it was easier than they expected. It was still no walk in the park, because it took a whole ‘nother year to get Bucky back on the good side. After he realized who Lindsay and Steve were, and who he once was, he collapsed in their arms and told them he felt so safe. 

They were all so different from their care-free selves in the 30’s and 40’s; their past few years had really fucked them up! But as long as they had each other, all was right with the world.

Steve had immediately become the leader of the Avengers when he came out of the ice, and even though Bucky has his issues, he joined about a month after he was free of Hydra’s influence. He was determined to right his many wrongs, and figured protecting the world’s citizens instead of eradicating them was a good solution. It took Lindsay a little longer to join because she felt she needed to truly perfect her skills. The offer to join obviously stood for as long as she needed since she got along with everyone so well, so she finally became a member about two months after Bucky did. That brings us up to the present day, and she was still running herself ragged.

Lindsay proceeded to nap in peace until Steve just couldn’t keep it to himself any longer. He pulled out his new iPhone, courtesy of Tony, and opened his camera app. 

_“I have to show this to Buck. See if he knows about any of this,”_ he thought. Thanks to the efforts of the whole team, Steve got the hang of using his phone like everyone else in today’s society. He quickly snapped an adorable picture of Lindsay and texted it to Bucky. He added a little caption to it too, which read: 

This is what happens when she doesn’t listen to me -S.

Bucky stayed back from the mission to train, but he took a break from beating the crap out of his punching bag when he heard his phone vibrate on a nearby bench-press. He was shirtless, but he left his dark hair down to cover little bits of his face. He threw a towel around his sweaty, muscled shoulders and took a breath before picking up his phone and seeing Steve’s text.

“Damn it, Lindsay,” he murmured as he wrote Steve back.

Steve sat up when he got Bucky’s message, surprised he answered so quickly. It read:

She still hasn’t gotten some rest?! How long has it been??

Steve sighed and answered:

No idea, but going by the bags under her eyes, I’d say at least a few days.

Bucky rubbed a hand through his dirty hair and let out a sigh. It was no secret he knew she had been working and training even crazier than usual ever since she started calling herself an Avenger, but _everyone_ needs sleep. You can’t escape it. He replied:

Poor doll. She must be exhausted.

Steve huffed and couldn’t agree more. He just doesn’t understand why she’s being so persistent. Everyone on the team knew the kind of person she was, and they were all impressed by her skills the instant she became apart of the team. Not wanting to rouse any suspicion from his fellow teammates, Steve stood up and tried to move into the nearest room so he can talk to Bucky in private. Of course, his actions had the opposite effect.

“Where are you heading, Captain of America?” Thor asked, genuinely curious. This naturally attracted Tony’s attention.

“Yeah, Capsicle. Got a hot date to hurry to?”

Steve shuffled and needed to end the conversation before Bucky continued his exercises. Lucky for him he could think on his feet.

“Just need to make an important call. Gotta go over some future mission details with Fury before I forget, so...”

“Ick, call away then... Not like you could get a hot girl to go out with you anyway - it’s all work with you,” Tony remarked rather slyly.

“Thanks, Tony. I’m gonna go now.”

“No problem, buddy. Don’t forget to tell the pirate I say ‘Hi’.”

Steve huffed a short laugh but managed a “Sure” before leaving the room. The last thing he heard was Bruce lecturing Tony on being more mannerly before the door sealed shut behind him. He took a seat against the wall and continued his conversation with Bucky in bliss. 

S - I don’t think she’d like it if she found out you pitied her.

After patiently waiting for a response, Bucky just smiled and texted him back.

B - She won’t find out because she won’t hear it from either of us. Got me?

S - Aye, aye Sarge.

B - Punk ;D

S - Jerk :P

They both chuckled and enjoyed bantering like little kids whenever they got the chance. But Steve wanted to return to the topic at hand: Lindsay.

S - I think we need to do something about L. ASAP.

B - No shit.

B - I don’t even know why she’s doing this. She’s more than proved herself as a vital member of the team, and I think we all know she’s too perfect to keep beating herself up like this...

S - Couldn’t agree more.

B - So what do you think we should do?

S - … I think we should firstly get her in bed the second we get back.

B - Saucy ;) :”)

B - Damn, is there a whistling emojo too? I can’t find it…..

S - I think it’s ‘emoji’, and you know that’s not what I meant :”/

B - Ugh, I know. But that doesn’t mean I can’t make you uncomfortable whenever I get the chance.

S - I hate you, ya know.

B - Sure you do.

B - :*

S - Stoppp.

B - Why? You know you love it.

S - Sadly ;)

Steve and Bucky, but more so Steve, have been itching to tell her that they had recently gotten involved with each other….. romantically. They weren’t gay, just gay for each other. 

After Bucky joined the Avengers, Steve and Bucky spent a shit ton of time just talking in the gym, their rooms, the kitchen, you name it. Lindsay was too busy training to even notice that they were starting to become even closer than they already were. It wasn’t until one fateful night where Steve was rambling about the old days until Bucky finally made his move and kissed him to shut him up. While he was initially stunned, Steve knew that this is what their longtime friendship had always been leading up to, and he happily kissed him back. It was also that night Steve finally had sex for the first time, and it that was LONG overdue.

After their love-making, they talked all night and decided to keep their new relationship a secret from the rest of the team for a while. Neither of them were sure how they would react to them being involved with someone, especially with each other… as men. Gay men. But.. not? Ack, one can see why they were confused and ultimately right to not tell them right away. Steve actually wanted to tell Lindsay the next morning, but Bucky’s fear of rejection made Steve cave. They’ve been keeping it under wraps ever since, and that was almost three months ago.

Steve mused about their time together until he realized he was falling right into Bucky’s trap. He could really take his mind off anything. He texted back with a determined expression.

S - Wait, no! You’re distracting me!

B - Sorry XD 

S - It’s fine. I’m just not sure how to get through to her once she’s finally rested.

S - Except…

B - What?

S - We could always tell her that we… ya know.

B - Not this again, Steve.

S - Come on, Buck. You know we really should just tell her how we feel. And not just about each other...

B - Yeah yeah...

S - Look, it might help her realize that everyone’s already accepted her here AND get her to ease up on the all the work she’s doing!

B - ‘MIGHT’.

S - Don’t be like that. And who knows? If telling her could do that much, she could probably be filled with, oh I don’t know, overwhelming and everlasting happiness when she hears us proclaim our love.

B - That’s a bit much.

S - It’s not though.

Steve pauses and looks away in thought. He’s not exactly the best at keeping secrets about his personal affairs, and any other Avenger can certainly attest to that. He has to tell her. But he can’t without his Bucky...

B - Stevie??

He thinks long and hard about what he’s about to send, and he just can’t go on like this anymore. He types passionately.

S - I love her so much, B. 

B - …I know you do. 

B - I do too ya know. 

S - Then why can’t we tell her that?!

B - Because I’m afraid! 

B - What if she doesn’t feel the same?!

S - We’ve been over this! And you don’t think I’ve thought about that too?!

B - I just don’t know… what if she only loves one of us? Or think it's weird we're together AND want to drag her into it too?!

S - Buck, you and I both know we can’t live our lives fearing the unknown. We should know by now that it ain’t so great.

B - I know.

S - That’s right, so we have to tell her. TONIGHT.

B - After she’s rested!

S - Obviously.

B - Ughhhhhhhh

S - We can do it. And I’m 99.9% sure she’s gonna be thrilled and say she loves us too! Just think of it how great it will be.

B - Trying to, but your can-do attitude is really getting on my nerves -_-

S - Shut up. You know you love it.

B - ……Sadly ;)

S - <3

B - <3 :*

Steve stifles a laugh and a blush when he hears a knock on the door. It’s Natasha.

“Hey, Steve! Just letting you know you’ve been in there for _quite_ some time and I haven’t heard you say a word! What are you doing?!”

“Damn your assassin skills….” Steve murmured under his breath.

“I heard that!” Nat announced. 

_“Of course you did,”_ he thought regretfully. “I’ll be right out!”

“Alright then. But I expect answers!” She finally walked away, but he sometimes hated how demanding she can be. 

“Ugh. Gotta end this.” Steve quickly texts Bucky back.

S - Gotta go. Be home soon.

B - Ok. Love you.

S - Love you too. And don’t worry.

B - *thumbs up*

And with that, Steve tries to shake off another blush and re-enters the main room. His previous seat is still vacant, so he sits back down there. Lindsay is still asleep, to his relief, but all of his teammates were staring at him with curious faces.

“What?” Steve asks innocently.

“What the hell were you doing in there?! Because you were definitely not talking to Fury,” Tony blurts, practically bursting with anticipation. Steve started to shift in his seat and loosened his collar. He wasn’t a very good liar about his personal life.

“Well….” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be continued!!!


	2. Dreams and Daring Accusations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve tries his best to explain his strange behavior to the rest of the team while Lindsay experiences an incredibly vivid dream. She wakes up with a start, but is soon led to believe that Steve is keeping something from her. With these feelings of doubt clouding Lindsay's judgement, she concludes that desperate times call for desperate measures.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who read and gave kudos to this story!! <3 I'm sorry for not updating sooner, but school and work have literally been so crazy recently :/ Anyway, I hope you like this chapter, but please leave comments or I'll never know! Enjoy lovelies :)

_“What the hell were you doing in there?! Because you were definitely not talking to Fury,” Tony blurts, practically bursting with anticipation. Steve started to shift in his seat and loosened his collar. He wasn’t a very good liar about his personal life._

_“Well….”_

“Well, what? You seem too happy to have been talking to anyone from _work_ ,” Tony questioned. 

“It’s true,” Nat points out. “You get so serious with all the world-saving stuff you do that you get this super serious look on your face - I call it ‘the zone’.” She made a hilarious, expanding gesture with her arms to stress the amazement of her self-dubbed ‘zone’. 

“Anyway, this isn’t that,” she finishes.

“The zone?” Steve asked with a quirked eyebrow.

The entire group all started to nod and add comments like “Oh, yeah” and “Absolutely” and “That face is actually terrifying”, making it seem like it was a gag all of them were in on except for Steve.

“Well whether I’m in this ‘zone’ or not doesn’t matter. I was having a private conversation, and, respectfully, it doesn’t concern the team. Can we just leave it at that?” Steve said sternly.

“Oh, now I _have_ to know,” Tony quipped. “What are you hiding, Cap? A special lady friend?” He flashed his trademark playboy smirk to annoy him even more, and it worked.

“Watch it, Stark,” Steve snapped back.

“Ooh, okay. Consider that nerve touched.”

Tony wasn’t completely wrong, but Steve can’t afford to start talking about his love life. They’ll all poke fun at his general inexperience with relationships and nag him for a name until he can’t take the embarassment and tells. He just can’t - not here, not now, and not without Bucky. 

Meanwhile, Tony raised his eyebrows in curiosity and crossed his arms. He wasn’t going to drop this. Steve just gave him a disapproving look and wasn’t sure what to say next. Thankfully, Nat can _always_ be depended on to cut tension like a knife.

“So.. who is she, Steve?”

Crap - this is what he was afraid of. He could usually think of a way to get out of conversations like these, but the fact that he couldn’t really _go_ anywhere to escape the situation made it so much harder. His eyes darted in every direction and he folded his arms in defense. He was never good with talking about intimacy, but Lindsay would always assure him that he had nothing to be ashamed of. 

Surprised he forgot Lindsay was even there, he looked at her for a moment and noticed she was still asleep. It had been about half an hour since she dozed off and she hadn’t even moved an inch from the corner seat. He needed her right now, and he briefly wondered what she was dreaming about…..  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
_Trees. As far as the eye can see. Perfectly shaped leaves were softly being carried by the whistling winds, and they had this gorgeous auburn color that reminded her of a pair of eyes she once loved. Her adoptive mother’s._

_“Mom…..?” she spoke at a volume no higher than a whisper._

_The sky suddenly turned from a clear blue to a cloudy grey. The dirt road she was walking on disappeared and she was now floating in an endless sea of swirling grey figures. She looked around in confusion, but remained calm. She quickly realized that she was probably dreaming, but she had _definitely_ realized she was not ready to confront her feelings towards her adoptive mother. Their relationship was… complicated, to say the least, and Lindsay just knew that she would not approve of her current lifestyle._

_Lindsay sighed and started to feel a little bit of anger bubble up in the pit of her stomach. She remembered the good times they had, but those were mostly during her childhood - the little things. Whether it was going to the community pool and letting her pick out whatever ice cream she wanted, or letting her wear whatever mismatching outfit she wanted in public, her mom would just smile, laugh, and just love her no matter what. It was when Lindsay became a teenager that things between them started to go south._

_They would go out for cheap coffee or a walk in town every other day, but her mother started to notice all of her imperfections - physically and personally - and point them out whenever she got the chance. Lindsay frowned and squeezed her arms in her grey abyss. The figures started to swirl around slowly, but got increasingly faster the harder she thought about how insecure and inferior she eventually always felt around her mom. If it wasn’t about how her skin being broken out, it was about her barely-even-crooked teeth. Her adoptive father was barely around to talk to her mother or Lindsay about it, thanks to him working triple shifts every day to afford rent. Because of this, Lindsay constantly felt trapped in a sense, and being around two attractive men like Bucky and Steve made her feel even more disgusted with herself, so they never knew this side of her._

_If it wasn’t about how she was always hopelessly single, it was about how nasty and ungrateful her mother thought she was “all the time”. Sure Lindsay would get defensive and a tad riled up, but it wasn’t all the time - it was only when her mom would make her feel…. small. One of the worst days of Lindsay’s life was when she realized she was actually bisexual - her only friend who was a girl was named Sophia, and she was beautiful. Her dark brown hair was cut short like a boy’s, and she had big, gorgeous dark blue eyes. She was thin and had this adorable smirk that Lindsay couldn’t help but blush at. Anyway, Lindsay knew that the second they became friends, she was different. One day, Lindsay admitted to Sophia that she wanted to experiment with her, only to discover that Sophia was curious herself, and felt the same way. They wanted to be in a relationship, but Lindsay’s fear of how others would view her ruined the whole thing. Sophia couldn’t be with someone who could not accept who they were or who they wanted. They were only “together” for a few months, and Lindsay could have gotten over it quicker if Sophia wasn’t her first kiss. It was soft and shy, but the most amazing sensation either of them had ever experienced. Because no one knew about any of this, she bottled up her sadness and acted fine around everyone else, including Bucky and Steve._

_She wanted so badly to tell someone about her experience, and that she was certain of her bisexuality, but how could she when she could never gather the courage to talk freely with her own mother? She would be disgusted and probably stop talking to her altogether. To this day, not a single soul knows that Lindsay is indeed bisexual, and it sucks._

_She couldn’t help but get even angrier about how she could’ve prevented so many hurtful arguments between them if she just kept her mouth shut, but that’s not the kind of person she was - it never had been. Her mom tried to stifle her voice, and she hated it more than anything._

_“Why couldn’t you just have been the parent I knew you as a kid...? Why did you have to get so judgemental?!” Lindsay spoke as she squeezed her eyes shut and bent over in a cradled position. The swirls in her dream turned from grey to an ugly red.._

_“Why couldn’t you understand that I didn’t mean half the things I said?! I am so grateful for everything you did for me, but you just wouldn’t give me the time of day anymore! Why couldn’t you just accept _me_?!” She raised her head as tears streamed down her face._

_The swirls were spinning at unimaginable speeds when they suddenly stopped and everything went black. Lindsay stopped all movements, but her hair was flowing upwards. She eventually let her head fall and sighed. She also let go of her arms and hung loosely in the middle of this bleak, black nothingness as she sobbed._

_“I do.”_

_She gasped and forced herself to stop her ever flowing tears. She knew that voice. She looked up in shock and found none other than Steve standing on an invisible surface a few feet away._

_“You know that if she were here today, she’d do anything for you, right? Mothers are like that, doll.”_

_“What are you doing here, Steve?”_

_“I’m only here because you want me to be.”_

_He was genuinely smiling at her with one hand in his front boot-cut jean pocket and the other laying on his side. He was wearing a plain white T-shirt that was _way_ too tight - like, his muscles were damn near ripping the fabric - and it was a nice distraction from the struggling feelings she was dealing with._

_“Hmm.” She grunted and continued to stare at him. He was still smiling, and started to walk towards her calmly but confidently._

_“So?” He said._

_“So what?”_

_“Why were you thinking about your mom?”_

_“I-,” she looked down for a second to think of an answer, but just let out another sigh._

_“I miss her. There were these leaves before that reminded me of her, and…. I don’t know. I guess I’m just feeling nostalgic for some reason.”_

_Steve stops walking about a foot in front of her and looks down to see her face._

_“There’s nothing wrong with wanting things to go back to the way they were. It’s what’s familiar, and we find comfort in it. Almost like how some people dread when the leaves start to fall. It means that cold, hard times are ahead, and they just have a tough time accepting that change.”_

_“Pff, you got that right. Change sucks major ass.” Steve snickered at her crass comment, but wanted to make his point._

_“ _But_...you just have to realize one thing.” He was close enough now to tuck a piece of her hair behind her ear as he spoke. She looked up at him, her body still hanging in the air._

_“And what’s that?” She sounded more annoyed than she meant to come off as, but she wanted to hear what he had to say. He proceeded to place a hand on her left shoulder._

_“Change is good. Now it’s not exactly easy - take it from someone who knows - but it’s essential if we’re ever gonna get anywhere in the life we’ve been given.”_

_“*Sniff* You think?” She wiped her face with her arm and started to slowly descend from her limp state._

_“Absolutely.” This time, it was a different voice that agreed. It wasn’t Steve’s - it was Bucky’s._

_Bucky appeared just a few feet behind her and was standing just as Steve was. He had a black tank top and light grey sweatpants on and his hair flowed a bit too since it was a little longer. His metal arm was shining gloriously even though there was no light to be found, and he smiled that dopey smile Lindsay loved so much. He finished Steve’s thought and approached her._

_“And we can help each other through the changes this crazy, backwards world throws at us.”_

_Both men were surrounding her now, only inches away from her front and backside, and she finally landed on the same invisible floor they had been walking on. She almost started to cry again, but she fought off the urge. She looked at Steve again and turned around to see Bucky._

_“Together?” she asked with the biggest puppy-dog eyes they’d ever seen._

_They both chuckled and Steve took her hands in his. Bucky opted to wrap his strong arms around her torso and rest his chin on her right shoulder in a loving and reaffirming hug._

_“Always.”_

_Lindsay chuckled a bit herself and wrapped one arm around Bucky’s large frame. She then used the other to pull Steve into a sort of messy hug of her own, but she didn’t care._

_“Thanks, you guys. What would I do without you?”_

_“Probably sulk because you’d have two less amazing and stunningly handsome guys hanging around you all the time.” Bucky answered mockingly._

_“Damn, Buck.” Steve laughed as he reluctantly lifted his head from Lindsay’s neck, which just so happened to be where it landed when she pulled him down for their hug. Even in a nonexistent world she smelled like sweet cherries, and Steve loved it._

_“You answered that a little too quickly, don’t ya think?”_

_Bucky curved his head up and left the top of her back bare to engage with his lifelong pal, only this time, it was Lindsay who silently objected to movement. His hair was warm and comforting, and she wished they wouldn’t banter so she could get it back._

_“Not at all! You should know by now that I can turn from serious to witty on a dime.”_

_“Pfft. Jerk.”_

_“Punk.”_

_“Will you two be nice? We were having such a nice thing just nowwww,” Lindsay whined. She usually enjoyed it when they would be playfully mean to each other because it would remind her of their young days, but she had this strange feeling in her gut. She couldn’t quite make out what it was…_

_“Sorry, doll.” Steve apologized._

_“Yeah, we didn’t mean to put you off,” Bucky added._

_“Nah, you’re fine. It’s just…”_

_Lindsay looked down in thought, which made Steve and Bucky narrow in on her even more. Both of their faces were _so_ close to hers - Bucky’s breath could be felt through her hair and Steve’s nose was a centimeter from touching her’s. The landscape of her dream had changed again from that pitch black to a deep, streaky purple. It looked like someone had painted an endless number of lavender strokes across a blank canvas._

_“What is it, Lindsay?” Bucky asked._

_“I think I….think I want to...” She used her hands to rub Bucky’s muscular arm and Steve’s gorgeous pecs. Up and down at a painfully slow pace that her boys were making low groans of approval. Damn those noises were doing something fierce..._

_“Just say it, love,” Steve hummed as he tilted Lindsay’s chin so that their lips were in just the right spot for the perfect kiss. Bucky followed suit and moved his hands across her toned stomach and hips in a seductive manner._

_“Do you want us?” Bucky asked as he placed a peck on the top of her right ear. She quietly gasped from the contact; it sent chills down her spine and he could tell because he repeated his action until she answered._

_“Y-Yes…… God, yes…” she moaned lustfully. She had completely forgotten about all her problems as Steve eyed her up and leaned in to break the intense sexual tension they created. Or was it always there? Their lips meet in the lightest touch one has ever felt--_

_“WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR DEAL?!?”_

_Bucky screamed at the top of his lungs, only he sounded like…. Tony? Needless to say their moment of passion was gone and Lindsay jumped forward. Steve fell over, out of sight, and when Lindsay turned around to tear Bucky a new one, his face wasn’t his own - it was Tony’s!_

_“AAAH!!”_

_She tried to run but discovered she was floating again. She was losing control of her dream, and she started to squirm with an uncomfortable look on her face in reality._

_“Where’s Steve…?” As she frantically looked around, Bucky had completely vanished, but she spotted a small figure in the distance. She swirled her arms around like she was swimming to propel herself forward, but she had a hard time. She knew it wouldn’t be long until she woke up from this mindfuck of a dream._

_She arrived at the figure and recognized it as Steve. His back was facing her and he hung in the air much like her._

_“...Steve?”_

_She reached to put her hand on his shoulder, but before she could even get the chance, he suddenly turned around to reveal his face was an unholy mixture of Nat and Bruce!_

_“What are you hiding from usssssss?!” It screeched in an echoing, sinister voice._

_“NOOOO!!!”_ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

“*Gasp* Oh my--” Lindsay awoke in a cold sweat. She noticed the team was too busy conversing among themselves to see her in such a startled state, but she was pretty thankful for that. She didn’t want anyone worrying about her, especially Steve. 

“Oh my god, Steve.. And Buck….” she whispered as she pressed her hand on her forehead. She _vividly_ remembered what they were doing in her dream before everything went haywire. She looked down in guilt and blushed. 

“What the hell was that about….?” Lindsay continued to think out loud until she realized she couldn’t afford to dwell on it. At least not with everyone around her. 

“Oh, my lady! You have finally awoken!” Thor boomed. 

Silence filled the room as they all focused on Lindsay. She feigned a smile and swiftly swiped the sweat from her neck before they could suspect any curious behavior. 

“Oh, yeah. Sorry guys, I guess I’ve just been working a lot and sleep finally got a hold of me.” She innocently rubbed the back of her head and set her eyes on Steve. He looked… drained. She was just about to ask him if he was alright until Tony leaned on the wall next to her. 

“Well, it’s about time! We were just grillin’ Golden Boy here because he just took a secret phone call in the next room.” 

“He _what_?” Lindsay asked with a half-curious, half-serious expression. 

“Oh yeah! And now he won’t tell us _who_ he was talking to or _what_ he was talking about with ‘em. I was just asking him what his deal was.” 

“Because it’s none of your business!” Steve finally chimed in. “Lindsay, please tell ‘em to back off.” 

Lindsay wanted to help Steve, of course; he was practically begging for it. However, she also wanted to know what he was hiding. He doesn’t keep things from her. EVER. So why won’t he just fess up? How important could this thing be? It was clear that the group was coming on too strong, so there was only one thing to do. 

“Alright, alright, everyone just lay off him.” 

“*Sigh* Thank you.” Steve smiled in relief and nodded to Lindsay in appreciation. 

“Aw, come on, Linds. We wanna know what he’s hiding from us,” Nat complained. 

“Yeah, no fair!” Clint yelled from the pilot’s seat. 

“Seriously? That’s it?” Tony asked with his hands splayed out in front of him in confusion. 

“It is for all of _you_.” 

“Wait, what?” Tony countered as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. 

“I won’t let any of you bother Steve about this, but I never said I wouldn’t,” she answered. 

“What?!” Steve objected. Tony just started to laugh devilishly as Steve started to get nervous again. Nat just exhaled and smirked before she laid back on her elbows. She didn’t want to miss a second of this. 

“That’s right. You don’t have to answer to any one of them, Stevie. But you better to answer to me.” She was 100% serious in this moment - she sat forward and squinted her eyes. Steve and this little secret of his was now her number one priority. 

“Oh, shiiiiit. Remind me never to get on your bad side.” Tony said before he too sat in a large seat across from her. He didn’t want to interrupt this one-time event, so he just planned to enjoy the show like Nat. 

“Come on, doll. It’s nothing..” Steve started. 

“Mm-hmm. Well if it’s nothing, just tell me who you were talking to.” 

“...” Steve just stared at her, as if telepathically telling her to stop prying. 

_“No_?” Lindsay was getting mad at his ignorance. 

“We think it’s a mysterious lady friend he has yet to tell us about!” Clint interjected. 

“....Oh?” Lindsay replied. A lady friend? Impossible. Steve can’t talk to women in this day and age - he either stutters like a madman and freezes or says something so incredibly old-fashioned or insulting that he gets slapped or flat-out rejected. He never means any harm, of course, but his obliviousness usually gets the better of him. 

“It’s not true, Linds.” 

“It’s not?” 

“Of course not! Y-you would know if it was!” 

“And we wouldn’t?” Clint once again interrupted. 

“Thank you, Clint! You can stop now!” Lindsay yelled at him, and he just made a face that showed he didn’t really care. Lindsay sighed and looked at him honestly. 

“Are you lying to me, Steve?” 

“No! I’d n-never do that! You know that...” Steve sounded hurt, like he couldn’t believe she could ever think he would want to. 

“....." 

“Trust me, Lindsay. It was nothing.” Steve tried to get through one last time as she tried to form a response. Finally, she raised her hands in defeat and fell back into her seat. 

“Well, alright then. Sorry I doubted you, Steve.” 

“What?!” The entire team all blurted in unison. 

“Ugh, thank you. And don’t even worry about it.” Steve was truly relieved - if Lindsay found out about him and Bucky like that, he’d regret it forever. 

“You gotta be kidding me! You’re just gonna drop it? Just like that?” Tony really didn’t know when to let something go. 

“Yep. If he says it was nothing, then it was nothing. And it’s certainly not up to you to tell Steve what he can and cannot do. For Christ’s sake, the man has experienced more in a day than you have in your whole life!” 

The playboy dipped his head down in shame and pursed his lips. That’ll shut him up. 

“Just... leave him be, and trust him to conduct his life however he sees fit… That’s all _any_ of us can do, right?” 

The team all shared ashamed looks and agreed with a few sad-sounding “Yeah”s and some “Right”s. 

“Good. Now let’s just get the hell home so I can finish my nap.” They all whole-heartedly chuckled and went amongst themselves. Nat joined Clint to talk about whatever and Tony, Thor, and Bruce gathered around to discuss the rest of the day’s plans. Lindsay just laid in her seat and stared out the far window at the passing clouds. She obviously knew he was lying - he could never get his words out properly when he was holding something back, and she was going to find out what it was, one way or another. 

Steve remained in his standing position with his arms folded. He looked incredibly guilty and spaced out while focusing on one of the screws embedded in the metal floor. He hated lying, especially to his favorite gal in the world, and he had a feeling she knew. She intentionally said those things to Tony to make a point to _him_ \- to make him feel bad. It shouldn’t be up to him _or_ Bucky to decide what Lindsay should or should not know, but he knew that keeping this secret from her was wrong. The second they got home, he was going to fill Bucky in on the latest drama and figure out a way to tell Lindsay everything without leaving any scars.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The Quinjet landed atop the Avengers Headquarters, but thanks to Tony never getting around to having the area actually cleaned, clouds of dirt and papers filled the air. The jet’s wheels came in contact with the ground, and the hatch opened to let out its members in the worst of it. They were almost completely blinded by the debris and Nat exited first, followed by Bruce. Steve was next to get out, but the confusion caused him to slip forwards and bump into Bruce. 

“Oh, sorry Banner! You alright?” 

“Uh, I’m fine, Captain. No worries.” 

“You sure? I didn’t see where I was--” 

“Steve, it’s really fine. Not gonna freak out over a simple misstep.” 

Steve sucked in a bit of air before he realized he was just being overcautious. “Sorry, you’re right. Continue on.” 

Bruce just smiled in acknowledgement and went inside after Nat. Steve quickly joined them, but behind him was Lindsay. Most of the refuse had cleared up, so she just sighed after watching Steve’s reaction. 

“So uptight..” As she absent-mindedly stepped forward, she felt something under her foot. She bent down to pick whatever it was up only to discover it was a phone. 

“What…” She spoke as she inspected the phone’s case. She turned it around and found a clear-as-day American flag on the cover. She gasped and realized it was Steve’s phone! It must’ve fallen out of his belt pocket when he bumped into Bruce, and the sound of the plane coming down must’ve prevented him from hearing it hit the ground! 

_“I should probably return this t--”_ she thought until a sneaky idea popped into her head. If she just kept it, she could just see for herself who he was talking to last - even better if it was via text because she could find out _exactly_ what he was hiding. It was perfect - she could easily learn his dirty secret and then innocently blackmail him with it to get him to confess everything once and for all! 

It was definitely sneaky and below-the-belt behavior… but then again, so is lying to one of the closest people you know. And with that, Lindsay scurried away to the privacy of her room to hack into his phone and carry out the deed. 

_”He better hope this possible ‘lady friend’ doesn’t exist, or I’m gonna make sure he and her meet a gruesome end..”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned!! More drama and intense feelings are to come! :)


End file.
